Carrying Contentment

Have you ever been tempted to buy a new curriculum, homeschooling supplies you don’t need, or revamp your entire homeschooling space after only a 30-second scroll? Yep, me too…frequently. What is it about peeking into someone else’s filtered life that makes us feel so discontent? Our house isn’t clean enough, our homeschool space isn’t big enough, we aren’t outside enough, and we’re not cooking and baking together enough. The list goes on and on leaving us feeling like we are NOT ENOUGH. I’m here to share some hope and encouragement with you weary Mom.

I love how the Message states these words from Paul to the congregation at Philippi “…I’ve learned by now to be quite content whatever my circumstances. I’m just as happy with little as with much, with much as with little. I’ve found the recipe for being happy whether full or hungry, hands full or hands empty. Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am. I don’t mean that your help didn’t mean a lot to me—it did. It was a beautiful thing that you came alongside me in my troubles.” Philippians 4:11-14

As a homeschooling Mom carrying contentment is a calling worth fulfilling, and you CAN do it. To carry contentment though, we first need to isolate the muscle group, establish a proper exercise routine, and rediscover its purpose in the body. If you are ready to start carrying contentment, then read on.

To focus on this muscle group, we’ve got to eliminate some distractions. Empty your arms of lies, confusion, and negative self-talk. Fill them back up with prayer, self-control, and perhaps even a temporary social media fast. What would your day look like if you were to replace that scroll with some worship, prayer, and consistent Bible reading? Start and end your day by picking up one of those things for just five minutes. Once your arms have grown accustomed to it, add in another and lengthen your carry load.

Nothing helps Mama stay on track better than family accountability. If you do morning time or morning basket with your children, that would be a great time to add in some affirmations: (We are content with what we have. With God nothing is impossible. We are grateful for the life we have.) Get creative. Pray about it as a family. You can even use your language arts time to craft your statement of contentment to include but not limited to spelling, grammar, and sentence structure. Use it again for copy work to practice handwriting. If you are not familiar with Charlotte Mason, this is called habit training. As you are learning to be content, you are essentially training your children to be content as well. Continue to pump that muscle with your children, and don’t forget to breathe between sets.

Last but not least, Paul calls it a beautiful thing that the congregation came alongside him in his troubles. Another version calls it fellowship. Do you regularly fellowship with other homeschooling Moms? Do you have other women in your life that can lovingly call you out when your arms are filled with the wrong things? Moms who can lift your arms when they are weighty? We were never meant to homeschool alone. We were created to do life together. If you don’t have any of these Moms in your life yet, be one. Find your purpose in the body. Once you start actively using those muscles to genuinely be present and encourage other Moms, the discontentment of your life immediately starts dwindling. Gratitude and contentment will fill your heart when you extend your hands to another.

God has called you to homeschool your children, and He has designed you to have the capacity to do so whether with little or with much. Through the mountains and the valleys, He is with you. With Him, you are enough. And I pray that he continues to strengthen you as you fulfill your calling of carrying contentment.

Still have questions? Reach out to us at support@homeschooltribe.com.

Happy Homeschooling!